The essential oil of the rhizome of Alpinia officinarum collected from West Bengal, India has been isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by means of GLC and GC-MS in apolar and polar columns. Forty-nine compounds representing 99.21% of the oil have been identified. The major constituents of the essential oil of the rhizome are 1,8-cineole (55.39%), Δ³-carene (8.96%), β-pinene (4.29%), camphene (2.81%), limonene (2.80%), isocaryophyllene (2.52%), camphor (2.35%), -pinene (2.27%), ϒ-terpinene (2.23%) and ϒ-cadinene (2.17%). The oil shows antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis (Gram positive), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi (Gram negative), and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

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